Historical archive
Historical texts in our translation
Seven texts that shaped how fighters think, from China, Japan, Germany and Italy. For each one we tell its story, show passages in the original language next to our translation, and say exactly where the text comes from and why we may publish it. We only use originals in the public domain and never copy a modern translation.
7 texts · 38 passages · 847 words translated in this language (3,374 across the four languages).
孫子兵法Sun Tzu — The Art of WarThe most quoted strategy book in the world, read in the Chinese original: seven passages translated by us.c. 5th century BCE (late Spring and Autumn / Warring States)
五輪書Miyamoto Musashi — The Book of Five RingsWritten in a cave near Kumamoto at the end of a life of duels: four passages from the Water Scroll, translated by us.1643–1645
葉隠Hagakure — Hidden by the LeavesThe most famous and most misread line about the samurai, in full: three passages translated by us.Dictated 1710–1716
不動智神Takuan Sōhō — The Mysterious Record of Immovable WisdomA Zen monk explains to the shōgun’s sword master where to put the mind: four passages translated by us.Kan’ei era (1624–1645)
✒Liechtenauer’s Zettel — the secret verses of the longswordRhymed couplets that German fencers memorised for two centuries, read in a 1459 manuscript: eight passages translated by us.Verses: 14th century · this copy: 1459
✒Fiore dei Liberi — The Flower of BattleAn Italian master explains the four virtues of the fighter with four animals: five passages, transcribed by us from the manuscript and translated by us.c. 1410
柔道本義Kanō Jigorō — What judo is for (1915 and 1922)The founder of judo defines his art and its goal in his own words: seven lines translated by us.1915 and 1922
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WABUKAN 和武館, «Historical texts in our translation», https://wabukan.com/textos-historicos (accessed 2026-10-30).
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